ICE Lab Report

MUHAMMAD ARSLAN

Submitted to:
ENGR. AQIB HUSSAIN
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To Study and Compare Different Fuels for Automobiles

Objectives:
To study the fuels properties, operational issues and advantages of
different fuels.

Description:
The session is aimed at carrying out the discussion of different
important properties of below mentioned fuels, study operation issues in
using different fuels and their energy security impacts.

Fuels To be Studied
Gasoline/E10
Low Sulfur Diesel
Biodiesel
Propane (LPG)
Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)
Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG)
Ethanol/E100
Methanol
Hydrogen
Electricity
Properties
Chemical Structure
Fuel Material (feedstocks)
Energy Content (Lower heating value)
Energy Content (Higher heating value)
Physical State
Cetane Number
Pump Octane Number
Flash Point
Autoignition Temperature

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Alternative Fuel Vehicles

An alternative fuel is a substance that can be used as a vehicle fuel

other than traditional fuel sources such as oil, coal, natural gas and propane.
Each fuel has a unique combination of benefits such as availability, vehicle
compatibility, energy,
Efficiency, cost and emission reduction. Each fuel is an option to replace
gasoline and to reduce the emissions caused by the burning of gasoline in
vehicles. Some alternative fuels also have industrial and residential
applications as well

Alternative fuels not only burn cleaner producing lower emissions but
some are even renewable, unlike fossil fuels, which means we could develop
a continuous supply of them. The alternative fuels in use today include
ethanol, biodiesel, methanol, natural gas, propane, electricity, and hydrogen.

Types of Alternative Fuels:

Bio Fuels
Ethanol
Bio Diesel
Methanol
Natural Gas
Propane
Hydrogen
Electricity
P-Series
Natural Gas
Hydrogen Fuel Cells

These are the alternative fuels used globally now a days as an alternative
fuels. Here we discuss below :

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Bio Fuels :

Biofuels are renewable since they are produced from biomassorganic

matter, such as plants. They generate about the same amount of carbon
dioxide (a greenhouse gas) from the tailpipe as fossil fuels, but the plants
that are grown to produce the biofuels actually remove carbon dioxide from
the atmosphere. Therefore, the net emission of carbon dioxide will be close
to zero.

Ethanol :
The most widely used alternative transportation fuel is ethanol. Ethanol is
an alcohol typically made from corn or corn byproducts, using a process
similar to brewing beer. Vehicles that run on ethanol have lower carbon
monoxide and carbon dioxide emissions than traditional vehicles. It is has a
high octane rating which results in increased engine efficiency. Has a lower
energy content than gasoline. This means that it takes more ethanol to go a
certain distance than it would take with gasoline.

Bio Diesel:

Biodiesel is an ester (similar to vinegar) that can be made from several

types of oils, such as vegetable oils and animal fats Biodiesel is typically
used as a blend 20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent petroleum diesel
called B20. B20 can be used in a conventional diesel engine with essentially
no engine modifications

Biodiesel is typically used as a blend 20 percent biodiesel and 80

percent petroleum diesel calledB20. B20 can be used in a conventional
diesel engine with essentially no engine modifications

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Methanol:

Methanol, another alcohol-based fuel, is usually produced from natural

gas, but it can also be produced from biomass. Therefore, it has the potential
to help reduce petroleum imports. Methanol-powered
Vehicles emit smaller amounts of air pollutants, such as hydrocarbons,
particulate matter, and nitrogen oxides, than do similar gasoline-fueled
vehicles.

Natural Gas:

Natural gas is a mixture of hydrocarbons, mainly methane. It can be

produced either from gas wells or in conjunction with crude oil production.
Natural gas is a clean burning, domestically produced fuel that generates
significantly less carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, particulate matter, and
nitrous oxide compared to similar fossil fuel vehicles. It is used in vehicles as
compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Propane :

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), commonly called propane, is a mixture of

at least 90 percent propane, 2.5 percent butane and higher hydrocarbons,
and ethane and propylene make up the remaining balance. It is a byproduct
of natural gas processing and/or petroleum refining. A propane-powered
vehicle can't run as far on a tank of gas as a comparable gasoline- powered
vehicle, but propane generates lower vehicle emissions. Propane emits 64
percent less reactive organic compounds, 20 percent less nitrogen oxide, and
20 percent less carbon monoxide than a similar gasoline vehicle. Is only
about 85 percent as energy effective as gasoline. This means that a vehicle

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will only go 85 percent as far as it would on an equal amount of gasoline, Is

price competitive with gasoline Is produced domestically show a reduction in
some greenhouse gas emissions.

Emissions from propane burning vehicles had:

o A 20-40 percent reduction in carbon monoxide

o An 80 percent reduction in particulate matter
o A zero percent reduction in Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
o A zero percent reduction in Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx)
o A 10 percent increase in Methane

Electricity :

Electricity is considered a fuel when used in vehicles. Electric vehicles use

various types of batteries and other energy storage mechanisms to store the
electricity used to run a vehicle. While the electricity production process for
vehicles may contribute somewhat to air pollution, an electric vehicle (EV)
itself does not, resulting in much lower emissions per mile traveled.
Hydrogen is a simple, abundant element found in organic matter, notably in
the hydrocarbons that make up many of our fuels, such as gasoline, natural
gas, methanol, and propane. As an energy carrier like electricity (not an
energy source), it must be manufactured. Hydrogen can be made by using
heat to separate it from the hydrocarbons. Currently, most hydrogen is made
this way from natural gas. Hydrogen can be combined with gasoline, ethanol,
methanol, or natural gas to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. Because the
only byproduct of hydrogen is water, only the engine lubricants from a
hydrogen- fueled vehicle emit small amounts of air pollutants.

Hydrogen vehicles

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A hydrogen vehicle is a vehicle that uses hydrogen as its onboard fuel

for motive power. Hydrogen vehicles include hydrogen fueled space rockets,
as well as automobiles and other transportation vehicles. The power plants of
such vehicles convert the chemical energy of hydrogen to mechanical
energy either by burning hydrogen in an internal combustion engine, or by
reacting hydrogen with oxygen in a fuel cell to run electric motors.
Widespread use of hydrogen for fueling transportation is a key element of a
proposed hydrogen economy.

Future of vehicles

If fossil fuels are to be phased out, the cheapest and fastest alternative
to get to market will win.

Judging by this criteria, biofuels currently lead the race. They are on
sale today, broadly used and are yet to feel the full price drop that
accompanies significant economies of scale. In some cases, they are sold
today at a cheaper price than the equivalent fossil fuel.

Electric cars come a close second, with many car makers trialling or
leasing electric cars. Though, the ones already on sale, such as the Tesla
Roadster, and the ones due for sale shortly, like the Mitsubishi i MiEV, are
a tad on the expensive side. Hydrogen cars languish in last place as, outside
certain parts of California, the infrastructure to support them simply doesn't
exist.

Of course, the story that has not been told here is that of hybrid cars. If
run off a combination of biofuels and renewable electricity, they are pollution
free. Judging from consumers' reactions to cars like the Toyota Prius, the
hype surrounding the Chevy Volt, along with the US Government's

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commitment to put one million hybrids on the road by 2015, these will be the
cars of the near future.

Then again, a sudden technological breakthrough might change the

game, such as a cheap way to store large amounts of hydrogen.

Hydrogen: the space age fuel

Good:

More energy rich per kilogram than petrol or battery-powered electric cars

Produces only water as exhaust

Refuels faster than electric cars

Bad:

Very expensive to produce

Difficult to store and transport

Incompatible with current infrastructure

Bottom line:

Although on paper it's an extremely promising fuel, high costs and problems
with storage means that a lot needs to be done to make hydrogen the fuel of
the future.

Batteries: high voltage dreaming

Good:

No tail-pipe exhaust

Almost silent

Utilizes current electricity grid

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Batteries already produced en masse

Bad:

Terrible range

Batteries are heavy

Long charge times

Most of electricity comes from burning coal

Bottom line:

The electric car has long been an inventor's dream. With the right
government and industry support, it might just come true.

Biofuels: Mother Nature to the rescue

Good:

No new delivery infrastructure needed

Renewable

Can be carbon neutral

Already in production and use

Bad:

May damage bikes and older cars

Competes with food production

Massive amounts of biomass required to meet the world's fuel needs

Bottom line:

Biofuels are already in use today. With further technological refinement and
increased production, they're potentially unstoppable.

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